Withering Hope
by dangofamily
Summary: Rika never imagined the day she would narrowly escape her death. Still, to see her friends die one by one for her was not what she had planned. Now it was only her and her closest friend left and as time flies by she feels her hope diminish at a lucid pace. Was there truly a light at the end of the dark tunnel? AU


**AN** : This was a story that I had wanted to write for a long period of time but I got around to doing it simply because I kept putting it off. Soon enough I was typing it up and sending it to my editor to finally post it!

This is during the Minagoroshi-hen arc and will be a short story most likely. Updates may not be very frequent because of things popping up in my life and that I don't want to rush too fast with this. Still, thank you if you end up reading it!

Without further ado, here's the first chapter!

* * *

Her fate will change. A fate of her constant deaths in every world she traveled for another chance of happiness. On that tragic date, June 1983! She would break it though and live her entire life with her cherished friends. She would do it and finally be _happy_!

That was what Rika had hoped for in the beginning…

Everything had been going swell at first because she had her friends by her side protecting her as they raced through the woods to reach Okinomiya, the town just by their village. Keiichi, Mion, Rena, Shion...they risked their very lives so that she could earn her wish, or how Keiichi would put it, "Change her fate". It was all her fault that they were dead. Rika was never this close to succeeding either because she had always kept it a secret, afraid of dragging them into her mess. The one time that she informed them and look what happened!

Rika couldn't understand as to why she was still running and struggling when there was nothing to return to should she escape. Maybe it was fear of death. Maybe it was sheer stubbornness. Maybe it was just adrenaline pumping in her system and not allowing her to properly make an accurate decision.

One could say it was all three.

She knew why though. Rika knew the reason as to why she was still going to fight even if it was only for a few days longer.

Rika held tightly to the trembling hand of her best friend, being careful to not let it slip because of the perspiration. Violet eyes met magenta. Both read each other's expression, not needing to have to say anything.

" _Keep running!"_

And they did. Together they ran further down into the woods as the men that were after them were distracted. Rika knew she would have to thank her friends for that. There were shouts coming from behind and getting closer at an alarming pace! Her best friend looked back and then turned to Rika, eyes wide with panic.

"R-Rika…"

"Keep going Satoko! We're almost there!" She kept her voice very low to avoid attracting them to their precise location but Satoko heard the bluenette. The blonde pressed her lips sealed and simply prayed to Oyashiro-sama for their survival! She prayed to their village god to watch over them at this crucial moment of their survival. To protect Rika at all cost! Secretly, Satoko found herself hoping that this was simply a type of cynical game that Mion, their club president, had implemented to really test their individual skills that they had crafted every day after school. If only it was so.

"There! The exit!" The girls charged out of the forest and hungrily eyed the town nearest to their home that had appeared before them. Okinomiya was right here and their chasers were not! Rika and Satoko laughed their little hearts out, too caught up in the scenery until…

" _Nightingale 7! Target in sight! I repeat target in sight!"_

Both girls saw him; he was only a few feet away.

They ran again as fast as their little legs could carry them. Satoko looked behind her again and saw that it was only three of them at least for now. They had to dispose of them or else more would follow their tail. The streets were dead at night, they did not need to fear for anyone to spot them. Satoko tugged on Rika's hand and signaled her to follow her lead. They made a sharp left into an alleyway. The three men followed suit with a sly grin on their faces. They knew it led to a dead end. Unfortunately for them they had reached it...with no elementary girls in sight.

They checked the trash cans, under the dumpsters, and if any backdoors of shops were unlocked. They spoke amongst themselves about how they could have escaped? Together they turned to a concrete wall that had stopped the alleyway from being longer. It was tall to go over their heads...but was low enough...could the target and friend have climbed over?

 **OoOoOoO**

"Rika, I think we're safe for now…"

Satoko slumped to the ground, panting from exhaustion and using her body to run a distance she never had before. It would have been wonderful to have ridden their bikes but they knew that was too much of a risk and went on foot instead. She pulled out a few leaves that fell into her short blonde hair and then crawled over to Rika.

Satoko could have laughed if she saw the three idiots that were their pursuers when they believed she had risked going to a dead end to climb over a wall that they couldn't reach. When they had turned, Satoko pushed Rika into a tight space behind a dumpster nearby and watch as they went on by. Most people ignore the beginning and pay attention to the ending alone. They forget to look at the context clues. That's why her plan was a success. She pulled off another trap! She wasn't given the nickname "Trap master" for no reason.

Quickly, they had dashed out of that alleyway and hid behind a house, conveniently concealed behind a wooden fence. Satoko had knocked on the door and when no one answered they decided to make camp in their backyard. The overgrown grass and litter had them realize after that it was vacant anyways.

Satoko had saved their necks and she was glad really, but Rika remained silent. Her head was covered by her knees, arms wrapped around them. Her long blue hair that Satoko always found to be beautiful touched the ground and swept amongst the trash. That was not what had pulled at her...Rika was crying.

Her cries were muffled and face was hidden but Satoko knew her like the back of her hand. It was same when reversed.

She hugged her best friend and in a matter of seconds, both were in a loving embrace as one cried for their departed friends and the other holding it in and letting her know it was all right.

Satoko never knew she would be the strong one. Rika was always the one to put up a brave facade and endure her hardships secretly. Satoko had always been the crybaby. She was the one who had always clung onto her big brother never realizing that she was only dragging him down. Her wonderful Nii-nii never complained about it so she never took it into consideration...It has already been a year since he ran away…

No! She would not think so negatively tonight, not when Rika needed her! Besides Satoko had decided to show how much she had grown since then. She had to keep her head held high especially now!

In a sense, she was happy for this turn of events because that meant that she could care for her best friend for once and repay the kindness given to her. She had a feeling her Nii-nii would be proud of her wherever he is. That meant that they needed to survive! Escape and find help in the morning! They had to protect each other!


End file.
